It can be difficult managing a deployed workforce. There is a lot that goes into training your workers and no guarantees that any of them will ever be up for more than a single deployment
Even those who seem eager and willing to take off for work abroad often underestimate the challenges that working overseas will present. Which is why it becomes your job to understand and anticipate those challenges for them. The more cognizant you are of the unique issues your deployed workers face, the better prepared you can become to help them overcome those hurdles.
· Culture Shock: Don’t make the mistake of sending your workers off without some sort of cultural training. There is a big difference between talking about living abroad and actually doing it. Prepare your workforce for the different cultural traditions and austere living conditions they will come up against and buffer them from too much transition anxiety by providing as many comforts from home as possible.
· Family Separation: Even some of your young, single and childless workers will find themselves missing the friends and family they have left behind. For those with spouses and children, the hardships presented by those separations can be even more difficult to endure. Provide open lines of communication for your workers, including readily available computer stations for Skyping and the accommodation of care packages from home.
· Life Management: For workers who have never deployed before, the intricacies of managing life from abroad may initially feel impossible to handle. From knowing basic home necessities will be taken care of to ensuring that all the bills are paid and no important mail is missed, there are fine details many of your workers may not think of themselves prior to deploying. Show them you have their backs by compiling a list of things they can do to make managing deployed life easier, before they pack up and leave.
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